SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THE TWO-WORD GOP TALKING POINT

Politico story today:

...“[President Obama's] campaign and the people working with him, have focused almost exclusively on personal attacks,” Romney said during an appearance on former Education Secretary Bill Bennett’s radio show.

Breitbart headline, August 7:

LIKE-ABILITY? OBAMA CONTINUES PERSONAL ATTACKS WITH 'ROMNEY-HOOD' MOCK

Fox News headline, August 2:

Obama Escalates Personal Attacks on Romney

NewsMax headline for a David Limbaugh column, July 20:

Romney Firing Back at Obama's Personal Attacks

CNN headline, July 16:

Portman slams president for 'personal' attacks

Um, that's how Romney thinks he's going to gain ground in the polls? By saying "personal attacks"? Complaining that the attacks on his record and policies are attacks on him personally? Whining that the mean old Democrats are picking on him? Does he (or does the GOP noise machine) have focus-group research saying that "personal attacks" is a winner as a talking point? Seriously?

Or is this yet another example of Romney campaigning in a way that appeals only to the base? It's been obvious for years -- think of Nixon, think of Palin -- that right-wingers like right-wing pols who have a persecution complex. But the rest of the electorate doesn't respond to that. (Nixon had to appear positive and upbeat to get elected.)

Among the examples of "personal attacks" listed above, my favorite is from the Fox story:

"[Mitt Romney is] asking you to pay more so that people like him can get a big tax cut."
-- President Obama campaigning in Mansfield, Ohio, citing a Brookings Institution study on Romney’s tax plan.

That's a "personal attack"? If so, consider another version of the same point, as quoted from an Obama campaign event in the New York Times on August 2:

"He's asking you to pay more so that people like him can pay less," Mr. Obama said. "So that people like me pay less."

I guess the president is personally attacking Mitt Romney -- and himself. Shameful! I think Obama should ask Obama to stop these vicious personal attacks on Obama!